New Delhi, Sep 4 A day after Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) members staged angry protests against senior leader and UP Minister Om Prakash Rajbhar, accusing him of insulting students, the Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP) on Thursday attempted to calm down matters.
On Wednesday ABVP workers had burnt his effigy, attempted to enter his residence, and allegedly pelted stones after Om Prakash Rajbhar’s recent remarks were interpreted as branding student activists as “gundas” in the wake of a police lathi charge at Shri Ram Swaroop Memorial College.
The incident left several students injured, triggering outrage from the BJP’s student wing.
Addressing the controversy, SBSP National General Secretary and former minister Arvind Rajbhar said the remarks were “misconstrued.”
“Om Prakash Rajbhar never used the word ‘gunda.’ He only said that those who take the law into their hands will be dealt with by the police. His statement was within constitutional limits,” he told reporters.
Arvind Rajbhar condemned the violence that took place during Wednesday’s protest.
“Entering his house, and stone-pelting is wrong. Many of those who came were influenced by the Opposition. Several Samajwadi Party workers joined the agitation to politicise the issue," he claimed.
"I appeal to the administration to examine videos and identify those indulging in violence,” he added.
Reacting to the row, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav had tweeted that the BJP’s “divisive mindset has now created cracks within its own ranks.”
Arvind Rajbhar dismissed the comment as “frustration.” “This is Akhilesh Yadav’s thinking. He is disturbed by the NDA’s unity. He knows that as long as PDA — Pichhde (backward), Dalit, and Alpsankhyak (minorities) — stand with the NDA, Samajwadi Party cannot come to power,” he asserted.
The controversy has snowballed further, with Samajwadi Chhatra Sabha and NSUI extending support to the ABVP. Student groups even staged a demonstration outside Raj Bhavan, demanding the minister's sacking from the Yogi Adityanath Cabinet.
As the ABVP urged the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister to dismiss the leader immediately Arvind Rajbhar alleged a conspiracy.
“This is nothing but politics. ABVP has always stood for students’ rights, and our party supports that. But highlighting one word out of context is an Opposition ploy to malign him,” he claimed.
On the question of security, Arvind Rajbhar revealed that the SBSP has already sought Z-plus cover for Om Prakash Rajbhar.
“We have written to Home Minister Amit Shah. We face repeated attacks. Samajwadi Party’s goons are trying to defame ABVP and target us,” he alleged.
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